A Change of Heart
by Kimmi-Ann Beau
Summary: Lucia is wish away by her mother who couldn't provde for her and Jareth doesn't have the heart to turn this little girl into a goblin, so he makes an orphanage/nursary in his castle and puts all the new children there. this is not a J/S fanfic at the moment but I dont know what will happen later. Again I dont know what will happen later and it's rated for caution. Slow Updates!
1. Prologue

**Hey guys, this is my first fanfiction book and I'm on holidays for a while so I will be hoping to write a lot if I get inspired enough! Also it is rated for caution on violence and any romance in later chapters that I do not yet know about as I don't know how if I can write anything like that yet so we will just have to wait and see how I feel (and what you guys tell me).**

**Also I do obviously not own labyrinth and all that jazz about copyright that comes with fanfictions and I don't own many of the characters and those that did have all came from my head and are all completely ****FAKE****!**

**I hope you review and tell me how it is because it's nice to get feedback on my work as I would with any stuff that I read because I take good and bad feedback in stride to help me with my writing.**

**Thanks guys 3 **

Prologue

The teary eyed woman looked at the girl with a feeling only a mother could know. Her husband had abandoned her and she had no job, no money, no car and soon no place to live. She was waiting for those final moments when she would hear the house owner knocking at the door asking where his rent for the week was and then the cold hearted man would either do the unthinkable or tell her to leave, with hopefully only the small back-pack she had and no little girl, and find a place to sleep for the night out on the streets of Brooklyn.

But she would not do this without assuring her little princes was going to be alright. She had to try anything that could give the little girl a better chance. She could not let the light of her life live cold and hungry on the streets begging for all the scraps of food or money she could get. So she would send her to a place where she thought she'd be better off.

There was the knock on the door and she put the sleeping girl on the couch next to her bags so she could retrieve them both if things did not turn out as she planned. There was another thunderous banging on the door.

She frantically said the words just as the spare key turned in the lock, "I wish the goblins would come take you away, right now."

The door slammed open and the horrible man whose roof she'd live under for the last fortnight charge in and yelled, "where's my rent you no good street urchin? Where is the cold hard cash you told me you'd have?" he went to strike her and she turned her head just as the blow struck home to see a puff of glitter and her little angel disappear just as she blacked out.

"Well, well, well, now what, or should I say who, do we have here?" the king of the goblins asked the toddler who beamed up at him. She was a lively little one squirming all around as his goblins tried to carry her into his throne room and they eventually gave up and let the little girl walk herself while holding on to one of the larger goblins hand.

"I'm Lucia and I'm two!" she told him with a huge smile on her face. She seemed proud of herself to be such an age.

"And what brings you here you here precious?" he asked her looking at, Grub, the goblin she was clinging to for an answer.

"She been wished away she 'as, we brought her to you just as 'er mam was beat by big scary man we did, Majesty." Jareth contemplated the answer and wondered what a sweet little thing like this could have done to be wished away at such a time and sure he'd had plenty of mothers wishing their daughters away and not wanting to retrieve them but he could only think that this time was in protection of the man who was beating her mother.

"You Dwess funny." She told Jareth not quite being able to say "dress". He wondered what he was going to do with this little girl who had commented on his attire in front of all his subject who began whispering about her being bogged for that one and other unthinkable things that they said he would punish the little girl for, for insulting the king. But all he did was get up of his throne and avoided the mess in the room as he walked to the child and picked her up into his arms

"Do you know who I am little Lucia?" he asked the toddler.

"You a king of goblewins! Mummy send me to you cawse daddy gones away" she replied with the innocence of the child she was.

"And do you know what I do?" he asked the toddler who was now trying to catch the tufts of his hair that stuck out in all directions.

"You turn baybies into goblewins," she then apperead shy and a little bit scared, "are you going to turn me into a goblewin?" Tears shone in her eyes and everyone's eyes went to her and then to the king expectantly.

"No, you will stay a human." There was a loud murmur and disruption in the rooms. The goblins had never seen Jareth with a mortal child and not turn them into a goblin. "No I see no need for that, we have far too many goblins in this place and so you will remain a child. No where will you stay?" he pondered not expecting the high pitch answer he received.

"I'll stay with you! You can be my new daddy!" she looked proud at her answer And Jareth looked astonished. The child he was holding threw her arms around his and hugged him as hard as she could making that weird strained squeezing sound he'd seen mortals do with their children before he took them promising that they'd be coming to get them back soon. They never did though. No one had ever beat him or his labyrinth and most failed within the first hour or two, either giving up or falling into some trap that could have easily been avoided. Some couldn't even find the door to the labyrinth and gave up in ten minutes. As he'd always said, once a child is wished away then they obviously won't have the patience to run the labyrinth to find the child even if they tried.

"No that would be unthinkable. I am a very important man and I have other matters to attend to. But I may have an idea that could possibly help a little." He thought on the possibilities of a castle nursery and orphanage as most fey would to have a young child as it was very hard for them and almost impossible to conceive. "Yes! It's perfect, you will be the start of the new orphan programme and though you will not be changed into a goblin you will be changed into a fey along with all the new children found or wished away and then put up for adoption.

**That is the end of the prologue and the first chapter should be up soon. Please do note that even though I am a fan of the Jareth/Sarah fanfictions and most of the books I like and write are fantasy romance, I don't know where this story is heading but Sarah will not be a part of it (I don't think) and there may or may not be romance in the later chapters. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in chapter 1!**


	2. Chapter 1 - The Challenge

**Hey guys chapter 1 is up and ready!**

**I don't own Labyrinth or the characters and any characters not from Labyrinth are completely made up unless I've stated otherwise yadayadayada…**

**Hope you review and tell me what you think of this first actual chapter! **

**Thanks guys!**

Chapter 1 – The Challenge

"Ugh! You win again Lucy!" the boy Lucy was playing chess with got up and walked away letting the next child in line sit down to play the champion of chess in the nursery.

"She always wins!" another kid shouted.

"Yeah! She wins everything. It's not fair!" another exclaimed as everyone started to riot and yell about how she always beat them at everything. This made the babies start crying and the goblin nannies started to run round frantic trying to calm everyone down.

"What about when Louie beat me?" she yelled over the commotion. "You know, at checkers." She exclaimed trying to convince them she wasn't winning all the games they played.

"He cheated! He started swapping the pieces and adding more in and you let him get away with it!" Conny yelled out.

"She's right Lucy I did" Louie said with a laugh. The rioting started again with all the children asking how she does it and what her secrets where.

Truth be told, she didn't know. She'd been in the nursery for fifteen years and stopped wondering if she would be adopted and just wondered how she would survive since she can't stay in the nursery once she turned eighteen.

"What's the commotion?" a familiar voice boomed through the room.

All the children stopped yelling at Lucia and started yelling at the joy that King Jareth had visited them. They were all trying to climb on to him and get his attention.

"It's Lucy! She always wins everything and it's not fair!" yelled Tom.

"Oh really well I bet I could beat her at anything." Jareth replied, with a glint in his eyes. Lucy was astonished knowing how fond he was of games and that he never loses. "You pick the game precious and then we will sort out the rewards." He told her smiling.

"What? That is preposterous! There is no way I would verse you at a game. It is un heard of!" she told him hoping he would forget it.

He walked up to her and leaned in close to whisper, "so was the goblin kings nursery and orphanage before you came here but you seem to be changing all the rules."

She thought about it hard and realised that the only thing she could ever want in the world was laid in front of her. She knew it was a long shot but she had to try. "Okay. I will verse you in a game."

"And what game would that be dearest?" Jareth asked her.

"I want to run your labyrinth."

They were in the king's office because after Lucy had said that Jareth had sent them straight there to reason with the girl he had known for so long.

"Lucia what are you up to, you know no one has ever bested my labyrinth and you know the prize for winning. Do you see me that way my dear? I love you but I don't know if I ca…"

"No! Jareth" Lucy interrupted, "I was going to negotiate the winnings with you. I don't plan to be your bride, don't worry." She exclaimed.

"Well why have you suggested this, and why now? What do you want from me if you win?" he asked her weary she might ask for something he can't give her.

"I want to run your labyrinth and in return _when_, not if I win, _when_ I win, I want to be adopted." She exclaimed with a smile on her face.

"You know I can't just find someone to adopt you, you need to let them choose you dear. I'm sorry it just doesn't work like that." He told her.

"No Jareth. I'm turning eighteen soon and we both know I can't stay in the nursery, I'm too old to be adopted people want young children like Tom and Louie, or at the most Amy who will be the oldest not including me. I'm six year older then her. I'm six years older than the oldest child in your nursery and don't tell me it doesn't matter, it's just that nobody wants me and that's alright."

"Lucy that's not…"

"Please Jareth let me finish. I love you," she held her hand up before he could say anything, "and I want you to adopt me as your daughter if I win." She finished. Jareth stood in shock and it took a moment to collect himself.

"And if you lose?" he asked putting himself back into the business tone he used for gambling with his subjects.

"I will find a suitor like you've asked me for so long to do. I'll even let you help finding someone suitable." Jareth had been trying to convince Lucia to marry for the last year since they marry as young as thirteen in the underground. She knew this might just tip the boat and get her what she wanted. "But don't be so sure on that because I intend to win."

It would set Jareth's mind at ease if his most treasured orphan was to finally find a man to care for her and he was honoured she'd let him help choose a selectable gentleman. "Okay, I agree to your terms and will get ready to prepare a big white wedding in the future," he said smirking at her, "because I do not intend to lose my precious."

"When can I start?" she asked eager as she'd always wanted to go into the labyrinth. The orphans didn't know much about the labyrinth except that no one had every bested it before and that it was dangerous. It was an adventure she had only dreamed about attempting and knew that she could do it. She was the gaming queen. She had never lost a game in her life against any one and she wasn't about to start. She had watched the labyrinth change from her window and was amazed by it and was looking for that sense of adventure.

"Tomorrow at seven you will start and have thirteen hours to complete the labyrinth. That is only half a day and you will need to work fast." He placed a watch on her wrist made out of crystal, "this will alert you and transport you there at seven and you will start. You will have an hour in the morning to get ready and you are free from tomorrow's chores and classes so when you're awakened by Mrs Pincer at six you will have to get as ready as you can. And remember you can't bring anything but the clothes you wear so don't bother packing a bag as it will just disappear when you a transported." Her rose and walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. "Good luck now go and get some sleep." He bent down to kiss her forehead and as he did she then opened her eyes to be in her own bed in the nursery and went to sleep.

**So that's chapter 1 guys! Please review and tell me how it is and how you like it. It's only short because I need to get her into the labyrinth so I can actually start the story and this much so far is all that I had come up with in my planning. Thank you for reading this far and I hope that you will continue to read as I add more!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Into the Labyrinth

**Hey guys once again we are the time where I'm posting up another chapter. This is chapter 2 and I'm really grateful for all the people who are taking the time to read this story. Please review so I know what you want and what your views on the story are, it keeps me writing!**

**I do not own Labyrinth… copyright this and copyright that etc… characters are fake if I made them up and have no resemblance to anyone at all… and on with the story!**

Chapter 2 – Into the Labyrinth

Mrs Pincer woke Lucia up at six the next day and gave her a bowl of porridge and some fruit, more than she was used to but she ate it all knowing that it was going to be a long day and she'd need her strength. She asked Mrs Pincer to braid her hair so that she wouldn't have to worry about it while she was in the labyrinth. She also asked for some comfortable shoes and an outfit she could wear which she was told is already in her drawer.

She found a pair of running shoes, a white poet's shirt, and some jeans in her drawer and changed into them. She said her final goodbyes to the children at five minutes to seven and then sat looking at the labyrinth through the window until she was magically transported there.

She stood outside a huge brick wall. She knew about the stone section of the labyrinth but you couldn't see it from the castle and she didn't know what it looked like. She set off along the wall looking for a door of some sort with Jareth's knowing eyes watching her.

Jareth sat in his throne room watching Lucy. He knew that he couldn't give her special help or advantages and must play the game fair.

She was his pride and joy. He'd taught her how to play chess and they'd even played the many visitors that came to the castle as a team and what a team they'd made. They had never lost a game together and knew that through the many truces and forfeits that they couldn't beat each other and would be just going round in circles trying to win against the other.

They'd played other games to. They enjoyed working together to beat the goblins at some weird chicken games they enjoyed. They were very close and he often worried that once she turned eighteen she'd have to move and wouldn't have anyone to care for her or any place to live. She'd never taken interest at the suitors that came to win her heart and no one had ever adopted her. It wasn't from lack of trying though.

She would leave with her adopted family and sent back the next day with reports of her screaming and running around and smashing plates. Every time someone tried to adopt her she went from this lovely little girl to the cheekiest, rudest little brat that anyone had ever met. He thought that she'd grow out of it but she never had and as she got older he schemes started to get wilder.

She had started bring goblins in her suitcase and leaving them in the kitchens and letting them run amuck for her. She had started shaving peoples head claiming that it was the bed bugs or a monster. She had also started sneaking out and vandalising peoples back gardens only to be discovered and taken back to her own home with a bill for the damage.

Sixty-seven couples and single parents had tried to adopt Lucy and she had given up on wanting to be adopted up until now. Now she wanted to be the kings daughter which he never saw coming. Ever since that first day she arrived he had adored her and he thought it was cute when she told him he'd be her new parent, but he was a busy man and didn't have time for a baby. But now she was older and, hopefully, less trouble unless she started her crazy antics with him as well. But he could never give her up if she won his challenge. He already did love her as a daughter and thought very highly of her.

He watched her through a scrying crystal and saw that she'd finally managed to ask a little fairy who seemed to have hurt her wing how to get into the labyrinth and that she was walking down the long passage way with the little fairy on her shoulder. Who'd have thought that one of those nasty little beasts would take to Lucy, usually they would be horrid little terrors, but then again everyone takes to Lucy when she's being kind.

Lucy walked with Feather-blossom, her new friend, down the narrow passage way wondering how she gets into the actual maze.

"And then Bulb-shine pushed me and I fell all the way to the ground! It hurt and I think I tore a wing on the way down on a branch. But they don't care they just laugh at me because nobody likes me." Said Feather-blossom, she had been telling her how she hurt her wing and how the other fairies where so mean to her.

"But why don't they like you? I think you positively wonderful and you helped me get into the labyrinth." Asked Lucy.

"Well I did put toadstools in Tulip-waters hair. Oh! And I ate the last piece of bushel cake. But it was worth it I guess." She told her, "I did other stuff but I only wanted some fun, it's not meant to be mean."

"I know what you mean Feather, I always used to play trick on the people who would adopt me, it was only cause I was bored and wanted to play games with them. And the kids at the nursery are always saying that I beat them at everything and so they won't play games with me as much anymore." Lucy told the little fairy.

"Now who do we have here?" a gruff voice said from atop the wall.

"Looks like a couple of wanderers who can't get into the actual maze!" another one said. They were vultures and they looked like they wanted to either eat or torment the girls.

"Can you tell us how to get into the maze?" asked Feather-blossom in her high pitched voice. They laughed at the little fairy and one swooped down and snapped its beak at her.

"Hey cut that out. It wasn't very nice!" Lucy told them angry that they'd tried to hurt her friend.

"So what do we get in return for helping you guys?" one of them asked. He gave her a beaky smile and she shuddered and stepped back away from him.

"What do you want?" Feather replied.

"Hrm how about you stay and we can have you over for dinner and we'll tell your friend how to get into the brick maze?" They both squeaked and laughed at this reply.

"No!" Lucy replyed, "How about we play for it? You ask me a riddle and if a get the right answer you show us the way into the maze?"

"And if you guess incorrect?" The first one that had spoken asked?

"Then you can have us both over for dinner and invite your friends." Lucy said pointing the other vultures flying above them.

"Seems fair enough." The other one said, "okay here's the riddle. As one goes up, the other goes down. When they swap places it needs to be wound."

"Oh that's a hard one!" Squeaked Feather-blossom.

"Come on please I don't know! We don't have time for this." Lucy complained. She was stressing out looking at her watch to see that they had wasted half an hour of the time she had.

"Time? Time! A grandfather clock! That's the answer!" Yelled Feather-blossom.

"You just have to walk through the brinks between the ivy that grows! You can get in practically anywhere. Now go before we change our minds!" One of the birds said angrily.

Hrm simple enough thought Lucy as she walked down towards some ivy. She walked straight through the wall and found herself in the maze with so many directions to choose from.

"We did it! We are in the actual maze!" exclaimed Lucy thinking how easy that was and how she should be able to do the rest of the maze as quick as she could. They set off down one the paths at a quick pace chatting happily about their lives.

**And that's all for chapter two! I hope you enjoyed it and we can start having some fun now that she's actually in the Labyrinth!**

**Please review and thanks for reading! And wish me luck at my dance competitions today!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Parents

**Hey guys I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Here is chapter 3 and I hope you enjoy it and carry on reading my story. I'm writing from my dance competition right now so if I seem stressed out in my writing don't blame me as it's a hectic day.**

**I don't own Labyrinth and all the characters are fake and come from my head or the movie. No copyright or anything. Etc…**

**Hope you enjoy chapter 3!**

Chapter 3 – Parents

Lucy was thinking about how hard this was going to be! They'd been wandering round in circles for ages and she dare not look at her watch to see how much time she had left. "We aren't getting anywhere!" she yelled in frustration.

"Sure you are!" they heard someone say. They looked around and didn't see anyone.

"No they're not!" someone else said.

"Of course they are! Why can't you just stop being so pessimistic?" the first voice said. They looked around and saw a woman stood there with a smile on her face.

The woman's face turned into a scowl and she looked completely different this way and she said, "Well why can't you stop being so optimistic? You're always so happy! It's sickening!" she then said.

"Excuse me." Lucy asked her.

"What do you want!" she asked angrily.

Lucy flinched away from her and took a step back.

"Stop that! You're scaring her. I'm sorry dear my sister can be quite crabby when she wants to be. Now what do you need darling?" the woman, no looking kind and placid like before, asked.

"Um, who are you?" Lucy asked her.

"I'm Delilah and you just met my sister Deniker." She told her.

"Eh, there is only one of you." Feather-blossom said.

"Shows what you see, you nasty little fairy." Deniker said.

"Things aren't always what they seem here little girl." Said Delilah. Lucia's head was spinning from trying to figure out who was speaking.

"Well I was wondering, do you guys know which way the castle is? Or just a way to the hedge maze at least." Lucia asked them.

"Well you turn left"

"No right!"

"At the stone statue."

"And then take the second."

"Third exit to and go round the corner."

They frowned and Lucy didn't know who was saying what direction or what directions to trust.

"And then you'll be in the hedge maze!" they said.

"Um. Okay then." Lucy smiled very confused. "I guess I'll go that way. Thanks!" she said as Delilah, or Deniker, watched her go the way, or at least one of the ways they told her.

Lucy was still in the stone maze and Jareth was watching her though a scrying crystal again. He'd had an unfortunate run in with some goblins who had managed to break his best set of wine glasses in the kitchen. He placed them in a cold dark oubliette and promised later punishment when he was less busy.

That had put him in a miserable mood and he felt frustrated. He went to his throne room and decided to see how Lucy was doing. She looked tired and famished and like she was soon going to give up. He felt like she might need a little help as he didn't want their game to end. It was too much fun and she hadn't versed him at anything in years.

He manipulated the labyrinth to give her one of the challenges that would lead her into the hedge maze and make her journey a little more interesting.

Lucy came across a dead end and turn around but saw that she was boxed in a square. Jareth appeared and said, "how about a little game?" He waved his hand and human sized chess pieces and she noticed she was standing on a huge chess board, much like the one they used with the goblins as pieces. But this time they were beautiful pieces covered in jewels and gems each one carved out of immaculate white and red stone.

"They're beautiful" she said.

"Much like you, my Princess. Also I'll have to silence your little friend for the moment" He waved his hand and Feather blossom found she could no longer speak. He walked to the red king's spot and disappeared. In his place was a stone figure of him and she looked at the white pieces and wandered what she had to do. She notice that there was no red queen or white queen and guessed she had a choice: join him and work with him or verse him as the white queen.

She walked to the spot and the other queen rose beside her king, and said, "I guess it's my move first. Pawn to E4." The little white pawn move to its new spot and the game began.

She was almost upset when the first piece that was taken was one of hers. But it was fair game and when one of Jareth's pieces fell through the trap door under its square she knew it was fair game still.

Twenty impressive moves from both sides later and it was her, a pawn, a bishop and the king on her side and a rook a pawn and the king on her side. Jareth had himself, a rook, and two pawns. Jareth moved his pawn, she moved her rook, he moved the other pawn and that left him open.

She walked to E4, the first place she'd moved that little pawn and said "Check mate!"

The floor fell from beneath her feet and she let out a shrill scream. She landed softly and was glad she hadn't hit the ground hard or anything as she watched the hole in the roof close above her. And was cast into darkness.

"That was close. I nearly didn't cast the softening spell before you hit the ground!" huffed Feather.

"Well I sure Jareth wouldn't have let me get hurt." Lucy replied to the little fairy.

"Good game by the way! I think he let you win though. You could see it in the way he left himself open. And you could tell that you two are obviously close." She said.

"He brought me up. I was the first child in his orphanage and I challenged him that I could best the labyrinth. If I win he has to take me as his daughter, if he wins I have to find a suitor." She grumbled the last bit.

"Oh so that's it! Yeah you're too young for him anyway. He's gotta be like five million years old! That would be so weird and gross." Feather shuddered at that.

"Yeah he's always been like a father to me. He taught me how to play chess and I've never lost a game! We used to team up against visitors to the castle and we made some team." Lucy told her.

"So where are we now?" Feather asked.

"I don't know. Maybe we can find a wall we can follow." Lucia got up and felt along the wall until she came across a handle high up in one corner. It had taken a long time of searching all of the walls in a small, seemingly empty square room. She pulled the handle and the whole wall seemed to dislodge. So she pulled again and the whole wall came tumbling down on them.

"Well that was a shock!" said Feather let's see what we found."

The got up and avoided the rubble and found them self's in a dimly lighted tunnel. They walked to the end of the tunnel and found a ladder down into another tunnel with many turns. It would seem that they were in another maze underground and decided to have a look around.

"Well she got out of the oubliette." Jareth told the goblins while looking into his crystal. He saw her in the underground part of the labyrinth and wondered how long it would take her to get out and where she would get out. He'd hoped she'd find the other exit out of the oubliette and would have been led into the hedge maze but she'd found the way into the underground tunnels and would have to make her way out of those before she found the hedge maze.

"Kingy! Kingy!" A little goblin ran up to his throne and bowed almost falling over. "I gots a message from high kingy and queeny!" the little goblin gave Jareth a note and bowed again before running off.

Jareth sighed. A note from his mother and father couldn't be good and he was already busy with Lucia and his labyrinth.

_Jareth,_

_It has come to our attention that you still haven't chosen a bride. We will be arriving this summer and expect to find a fiancé or at least see you courting someone. Also we expect you picking an heir if you do not plan to conceive with your bride and will have till next summer to announce this news._

_Best regards, your parents_

This could not be happening! He had two months two find a wife and four-teen two find an heir. Well the heir part will be easy if Lucia wins the challenge, being his daughter would make her his heir and that would be out of the way, but he only had two months to find someone to marry.

He figured that if he won the challenge then he could court Lucy and convince her to marry him instead of finding a suitor. If that worked then he could have half of his parents' requests no matter how she does in his labyrinth. But that would mean he'd have to find an heir still which would create another problem he'd have to discuss with Lucia.

He looked back in the scrying crystal and watched her in the underground maze. Why the underground had an underground maze within a maze he did not know but he watched her walk with her new fairy friend and wondered when she'd get out and the outcome of the challenge.

**That's it from me today! I have more competitions tomorrow and I'm coming home from seeing a musical while writing this so it has been a stressful dancing day!**

**For anyone in Australia who enjoys musicals I really suggest going to see cats! It was amazing with over 500 performers.**

**Thanks for reading, the chapters are slowly getting bigger as I write. Please review and tell me what you want! Do you want Lucia and Jareth together? Do you want Sarah in the story and how? Do you think it's good?**


	5. Chapter 4 - Cats and Goblins

**Next chappie! It might be a bit all over the shop because I'm at dance competitions today but I hope you read and review!**

**I don't own Labyrinth and characters I make up are from my head… etc…**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 4 – Cats and Goblins

Lucy and Feather-blossom where wandering the underground labyrinth when they came across a little old woman. Her hair was grey and even though they could see her from behind they could guess her face was aged and worn.

"Excuse me miss?" Lucy asked her, "do you know the way out of her?"

The woman turned around and what they saw was a frightful site. The woman's eye lids and mouth had been sewn up. Her mouth was turned down in a frown and she had no eye brows. There was just a small stump where her nose was with two small holes that she must have been breathing from.

"Lucia, I have been waiting for you." Lucy heard in her mind. She flinch at the intrusion and didn't know what she was supposed to say. "Don't be frightened young child. You are destined to do great things to save this kingdom. I am Lydia; I'm a see'er and the most powerful see'er in the whole labyrinth. I see all that has been and all that will happen. You have been chosen by fate to save this kingdom. You will face three big challenges before you reign but I can only tell you that the labyrinth is your easiest one. The other two will be worse and more difficult and through them you will learn many things. But most importantly you will have to learn three other lessons. These I can tell you. You will learn to trust others, you will learn to be courageous and face difficulties when loved ones are in danger, and you will learn that self-sacrifices have to be made in order to save these loved ones. Now you must go quick as your time is dwindling." The woman put an amulet around Lucia's neck and then touched her forehead.

Lucia fell upwards through the roof and seemed to float right through the very ground. When she was above ground again she found herself in the hedge maze. She couldn't help but wonder what the woman meant or if she may have just been a trick from Jareth to slow her down.

"What was that all about? I was yelling and screaming at you but you just stared at the woman in some sort of trance, then she gave you the necklace and we floated right through the ground. Are you okay?" asked Feather-blossom.

"I'm fine. She was talking to me though. Like in my head. It felt like she was talking normally to me but like it was direct. She said something about lessons and challenges." Said Lucy. She didn't really want to tell her much more for some reason so she just kept quiet about the rest.

"Well we're in the hedge maze now and can keep going sine it shouldn't be that long until we're in the castle and you can be the kings daughter" Feather told her.

They carried on through the hedge maze and thought it was much nicer than the other sections she'd been in. it was full of plants and pretty flowers and had statues and courtyards with benches. She wondered what else was in the hedge maze and what she would have to face. There couldn't be much more, she was almost at the castle and she was extremely tired and hungry but she didn't want to check the time in fear that she found out she only had five minutes left and was going to fail miserably.

She recognised a small goblin that was being chased by some cat like creatures. "Grub!" she called to him, "don't worry I'm coming! Don't let them catch you." She ran after them with Feather-blossom on her shoulder holding on to her shirt trying not to fall off.

Lucia caught up to them and kicked the cat creatures yelling at them to get away. They hissed and clawed at her but they were backing away trying to get out of the road. Poor Grub was cowering in the corner where the hedges met. She got rid of the last cat thing that ran round the corner crying. "There we go Grub it's safe to come back now." She went to the little goblin and said, "come on, it's Lucia you don't need to be afraid of me."

The goblin kept on cowering and would come near her. He squeaked, "big, scary cat!"

"Yes I know! They were big, scary cats but they're gone now so it's safe." She told him trying to coax him out.

"No they big, scary kittens! Mummy cat doesn't like when you's taken kittens." He got up and looked around tentatively. He sighed and relaxed seeing nothing.

"Lucy?" Feather said, "we've got a big problem and I mean big." Lucia turned in the same direction Feather was facing on her shoulder.

There towering in between the hedges was a huge cat almost seven feet tall. They backed away and Grub squeaked again before scurrying off down one of the pathways. But Lucy didn't notice Grub leaving as all her attention was on the cat.

They kept backing up till her back hit the maze, she turned her head to realise that the once there exit was now a hedge blocking her only exit as the cat was blocking the one Grub and her kittens went down. "Nice kitty! You don't want to hurt us do you? No we're nice." Lucy said with a shaky voice.

"Yeah and fairies have lots of little bone that would be a nightmare to digest!" said Feather in an even more shaky voice.

The cat continued its slow advance and knelt down to pounce when the kittens bounded through the path into their mother. She startled but when she saw her kittens she started purring and cleaning them before turning around and leaving down the path with her babies.

Lucy wondered what had just happened until Grub came out of the maze with a horde of at least ten goblins following him all out of breath.

"We chase kittens lady! They gone now." One of them said and Lucy looked at them gratefully.

"Thank you for helping us but we must be going now," Lucy told them.

She walked down the tunnel they had come from and was wondering which way to go before Feather-blossom cleared her throat and said, "um Lucy, I think we have some followers."

Lucy turned around to face the next danger or challenge but only saw ten little goblins with Grub following close behind them. "Well," she said, "What do you guys need now?"

"We want to come with brave lady to castle!" A goblin with dark green hair said.

"We don't know the way to the castle I'm afraid." Lucy replied, "we're trying to get there too, do you guys know the way?"

"No." A smaller goblin with huge ears said.

"Oh that's a shame." Lucy said.

"Yeah, we only know way to city!" one who'd taken to having a blue Mohawk said.

"Oh, well couldn't you take us there?" Asked Feather.

"Yes we go to city!" said Grub.

**That's all for today! Sorry it isn't longer I've been dancing all day and I'm so tired.**

**Hope you review and enjoyed this chapter!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Another Game

**Chapter five time! I've been dancing at competitions again and haven't had time to write so ill try to get heaps in tonight. Please tell me if the chapters are too short or too long because I've been aiming for 1000 words each.**

**Disclaimer… etc. I don't own Labyrinth and the other characters are completely fake.**

Chapter 5 – Another Game

"City this way!"

"No this way!"

"I thought it was this way!"

"No stinky boggy that way!"

"It's this way!"

So the goblins weren't proving to be much help and Lucia was losing time. They were still in the hedge maze and the goblins were arguing which direction the city was. It turns out that none of them knew for sure which way the city was and they were totally lost.

"Why don't we split up? I'll go with feather and grub down this way and you guys split into three groups of three and try the other paths." Suggested Lucy and to be honest she was tired of following the goblins and was sure they'd gone in circles. Grub was proving to be useful showing them where they could find edible berries hidden in the hedge. So she thought there wouldn't be much problem keeping one goblin around and since he was quiet and calm he wouldn't be a big hassle.

The goblins seemed to think it was a great idea and didn't see the obvious flaws in trying to find each other after or getting in danger. They scurried off pushing and shoving each other down the path and trying to trip each other up. Lucia shook her head at what could only be described as goblinish behaviour.

So Lucia and her group went down their path not even worrying if it was the right way. She figured that it wouldn't matter which path they chose because they had no idea which one it was and the goblins who thought they did contradicted someone else.

Lucia kept looking up over the hedge for some sort of indication of which way to go, "this is useless, I'm running out of time and we don't even know if we're going in the right direction!"

"Don't give up faith Lucia we'll find the way to the castle,' Feather said, "Hey Grub which way do you think we should try?" But there was no reply.

"Grub!" Lucia yelled.

"Grub where are you?" Called Feather-Blossom.

Lucia passed Feather and looked back over the trail, "I don't know where he went."

"You don't suppose he got lost or left us do ya?"

"No I don't think he wou... Feather! Feather-Blossom where have you gone?" Now Feather had disappeared and Lucia was alone and cold. Lucia kept walking down the path looking for her friends or where they might have gone when she came up to a dead end.

In front of her was a wall so high that she couldn't see over it, "this wasn't here before! Jareth this is unfair you can't expect me to go back the way I came!"

"I don't. I want another game. This wall is made up of fifty rows and three columns of one foot square bricks. The bricks have handles," Lucia looked up and saw that there were little handles sticking out from each brick, "and you will have to climb up the wall."

"What's the catch? You said this was a game." Lucia asked.

"Ah, clever girl. Yes there is a catch, each handle is numbered from one to fifty and you can't touch handles that are square or triangular numbers. But if those square or triangular numbers are divisible by four or five then you can. Lastly any other numbers you touch that are divisible by four or five you can't touch." He told her smirking.

"But that's so difficult! How am I supposed to know and keep enough stamina to climb?" She asked.

"That isn't my problem, But ill also tell you that there is only one number you can't touch per row just to make it easier. Also if you touch the wrong one you'll be sent back to the beginning of the labyrinth and we don't want that now do we?" He disappeared before she could argue about fairness. But she did hear a voice say, "by the way dear, you have two hours left. So make haste while I start writing the invitations for the suitors."

That set her of and started looking at the first row of numbers the first row had 34, 12, and 18. It took her a second to remember the square and triangular numbers and found that 12 was disable by four but not triangular or square and this was the bad handle. She used this method for as many high up as she could see so she wouldn't be so long on the wall, once she got as high up as she could she started to climb.

It was tiring and all the numbers were starting to meld together. Triangular numbers were looking square and squares were riddled with fives and fours. What was she to do? She was about thirty feet up trying to work out what the number was in 14, 33, and 40 when she lost her grip and plummeted to the ground.

**Okay disown me… I haven't been here in at least three months… and then I leave you with a cliff hanger… I'M SORRY! I beg of you not to disown me I'm so so so sooooo sorry…**

**I'll Try to write more I promise but I just got so writers blocked… hope you liked the chapter I'm going to go take the walk of shame now…**

**Please tell me what you want because she's going to be out of the labyrinth soon and I don't know whether she should be his bride or not… you tell me what you want. Just love me, reply to me, read my story, and I will be you slave.**


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